Friday, March 19, 2010

Rant Alert! - Fighting Censorship

I cannot begin to express how pissed off I am with people who expect the government to protect their children from his or her parents own ill-informed decisions.

I am just so sick and tired of seeing news articles about censorship and "protecting the children". If you have a child, then YOU have a responsibility to protect that child, not the government, not your neighbor, not your imaginary friend Fred, but YOU!R Rating for Video GamesWe deserve an R rating for Video Games, if protecting the children is the only reason we don't have one, then where do you draw the line? I don't even understand how this is a debate? Do you leave cigarettes and booze lying around for them to access easily? Why don't you just give them all the yummy drink products from under the sink next time they are thirsty? Wait, that's right... we should ban drain cleaner and spray & wipe to protect children, because surely if you have this stuff just lying around it is a danger to all!!!

If you don't want your children to play violent video games, then do not provide them with ways in which to access them. I have already had a rant similar to this which you can read about here.

Internet CensorshipThis also means that if you don't want your children to view or have access to inappropriate web content, then do some research, find a filter that works for you, or supervise them whilst they use the net. Why do I have to suffer from your inability to control or inform your child about the things they can and can't do. If you need help with this, there are plenty of options available to you, from parental advise sites to governmental support agencies.TV & MoviesAre you concerned about violence on TV or in movies? Try turning the TV off every once in awhile or change the channel. Why not play a board game or go for a walk. Lazy parents who use the television as a babysitter are the first to complain when their child is exposed to something they did not want them to be. Well, whose fault is that? We already have quite strict classification laws in place for both TV and Movies, make an informed choice and set schedules for your child's viewing habits based on these choices.

ConcertsSo by now you are probably wondering what prompted this rant? (that is of course if you are still reading). Well, in today's news, the mother of a 9 year old girl complained that a Lady GaGa concert was not appropriate for her child and that she should have been warned of this fact prior to purchasing the tickets. Seriously? How could you not be aware that a Lady GaGa concert would not be acceptable to minors?